The first four tips tackle the preparation phase of the stroke, while the last four deal with proper execution. Follow these eight tips in order.

Bend Your Knees

One of the most common mistakes players make is that they are too stiff in their legs. This makes it really difficult to react correctly to the flight of the oncoming ball (tracking) and virtually impossible to use the ground to help you generate any power.

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It's one of the main reasons many players feel they have no power in their backhand. Pros, who do use their legs and the ground properly, find the double handed backhand is the more powerful of the two ground strokes.

Approach With Small Steps

Once you have some "flex" in the legs you'll be able to move around the court more efficiently and athletically.

Approach the ball with a quick succession of small steps rather than the all too common couple of large steps. This allows you to be more reactive around the tracking of the ball and to build up some momentum with your footwork, which will help you increase your racquet-head speed and the power of your shot.

Coil the Upper Body

The other key to developing a destructive double hander is the coiling of the upper body. Getting a good shoulder turn in that allows the arms and the racquet to go back (and up) is crucial and needs to be performed in advance of the ball landing on your side of the court.

About the Author

Paul Gold?

Paul Gold has been involved in enhancing the performance of tennis players of all levels from beginners to touring professionals?for more than 20 years. For a free video answering seven of the most asked tennis doubles questions, visit TennisDoublesMastery.com.

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